Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 9, 1990 TAG: 9004090109
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When they think about the ninja, most people conjure up visions of evil assassins in black, crawling through sewers, scaling ropes, then brutally killing, according to an eighth-degree black belt in the art. And, he says, that picture - of your basic bad guy - isn't fair.
Bud Malmstrom, who has studied in Japan with ninjutsu grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi, says the martial art has been unfairly portrayed in history books and in the media. Ninjutsu is much more than learning how to fight; it's a philosophy that its students live by every day, he said.
Malmstrom, whose Atlanta training center for ninjutsu is one of the largest in this country, led a group of students - dressed in black robes and pants called gis and tall black slippers call tabis - through twists, kicks and pushes on a set of mats at a Roanoke hotel this weekend.
The physical side of ninjutsu is different from other martial arts, in part by the way it is based on natural movements, Malmstrom said. "It's as natural as walking," he said.
As a student pushed Malmstrom's arms toward the floor, Malmstrom, instead of fighting it, let his body go that direction. Once there, though, Malmstrom made a quick swivel and had the student pinned.
The idea - to avoid resistance - also is part of the philosophy.
"It's the idea of how to not resist," he said. "Let's say inside, you have a knot. If you resist it, it's going to hurt you. Just go with it and then create some kind of counter."
That philosophy, he said, carries off the mat and into the world. In traffic, for example, a ninja is not troubled by a driver who cuts him off. "Again, you don't resist it," he said.
"The idea is not to be assassins; it's trying to be powerful spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially and do the best they can do for their family," he said.
Malmstrom says he has never had the chance to use the physical side of ninjutsu on the streets. The spiritual side he uses every day, he said.
That's not to say the 1,000-year-old Japanese martial art cannot be violent. Often, Malmstrom's demonstrations end with a student's neck between his hands or a student's arm twisted in a vulnerable-looking position.
As he showed the group one move, he told them they could make it "as violent and cruel and brutal as you want. You make it as difficult or as final as you want. In here, let's not make it very final."
And the group was doing only mat work Saturday. Malmstrom said the ninja also train with knives, swords, chains, sticks, ropes with weights and shotguns.
Malmstrom admits that some of the "billions" of moves, if executed fully, could hurt or even kill. Violence, he said, would not be bad if it were to protect one's family.
"Any of these guys could [hurt someone], but that's not the point," he said. "The point is to be a better human being."
Only about 1,000 people study the art in this country. Roanoke's group consists of 16 to 20 regulars who work on their art two nights a week. Instructors Jeff Duncan and Mark Hilton are both black belts and students of Malmstrom's.
Malmstrom said the art has lost the popularity it had in this country a couple years ago - following a run of poor portrayals of ninja in soap operas and movies.
The lastest high-profile ninja warriors, a group of cartoon teen-age turtles featured on TV and in a movie, may send the art's popularity up again. But that type of ninja show doesn't bother the black belt one bit.
"I think it's great," he said of the Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles. "At least they're not making them the bad guys. Finally, it's time to see the art in a humorous light."
by CNB